LAND DAYS: HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER FREEZER FUDGE

Although i am a fairly confident cook, the thought of baking terrifies me. To me, baking has always been like putting together a magic potion. Cooking is a step-by-step procedure i can follow whereas baking is more of an art form that i cannot comprehend. The fact that i am not the biggest 'sweet' person also doesn't make me want to go running to my kitchen to whip up a cake or a batch of cookies. That being said i am trying to find easy, healthier sweet recipes to have for when i get a craving for a tootsie roll.

LAND DAYS: TACO SEASONING

I love me some mexican food! 

One thing i find myself making the most often are tacos. For the tacos i made tonight, i decided to make my own seasoning since the pre-packaged taco mix has extremely high sodium contents and, in some cases, also contains MSG (monosodium glutamate). It was delicious and i honestly think it tasted a lot better and is obviously more authentic than the packaged stuff! 

Jess.
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Here are the ingredients for the 'Hot and Spicy' Old El Paso pre-packaged seasoning:

I used a recipe that i found off the internet from [allrecipes.com] and the only things i changed were replacing table salt with sea salt and red pepper flakes (i didn't have any) with Mrs. Dash.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1/4 TSP garlic powder
• 1/4 TSP onion powder
• 1/4 TSP Mrs Dash
• 1/4 TSP dried oregano
• 1/2 TSP paprika
• 1 1/2 TSP ground cumin
• 1/2 TSP sea salt
• 1 TSP black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Mix all spices together and sprinkle over cooked meat while still in pan with 1 cup of water (per pound of meat). Simmer until most, if not all, water has evaporated.

LAND DAYS: 'POMBERRY' BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

I've never really been the bacon and egg breakfast kind of girl. While Damon loves having a big breakfast, i find i'm always drawn to smaller but energizing meals. Smoothies are one of my favourite things to make in the morning. 

I recently bought a new bag of Nature's Touch 'Pomberry' mix with no added sugar as an alternative to other popular frozen fruits such as pineapple and mango. This mix includes blueberries, blackberries, cherries and pomegranate aril. Berries are their own powerhouse offering substantial amounts of Vitamin C, fibre and antioxidants as well as low natural sugar contents. They have also been proven to slow down cognitive decline as you age.

Try to include these babies in your diet at least once a day! Here is what i included in my 'Pomberry' smoothie, what do you guys like including in yours?

Jess.
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LAND DAYS: HOMEMADE CHICKEN 'NOODLE' SOUP

After a short hiatus due to a busy weekend, i'm ready to play catch up! Last week i made homemade chicken 'noodle' soup using a version of [Detoxinista's] recipe. I tweaked my soup by adding a few more vegetables, no salt (added when served) and cooking in my VitaClay Slow Cooker instead of on stove top. It turned out delicious and i love having an easy, healthy meal on hand for when i don't have the time to cook.

Here is my tweaked Detoxinista chicken 'noodle' soup recipe!

Jess.
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LAND DAYS: CHIA PUDDING

This morning i wanted to make a quick and easy breakfast so i decided to try my hand at chia pudding. Chia seeds are a great, easy source of omega-3 fats and fibre to add to your diet. These little guys aid in boosting energy, digestion, stabilizing blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Normally i sprinkle chia seeds onto my yogurt or oatmeal but i decided to try something new today.

Jess.
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LAND DAYS: ORGANIC RED WINE

If you know me, you know i love my red wine. Preferably a whole bottle in my right hand (i've never been the classy, glass kind of wine-o). Since reading the book Skinny Bitch, which i talked about in my last [blog post], i've learned about the use of sulfites in wine. The book also taught me that organic wines have little if any added sulfites. 

LAND DAYS: CURRENT HEALTH BOOKS

I'm having a relax day because the last two days of travelling were the death of me. Today has involved a bubble bath, smoothies, hanging out with Damon and reading. For this post, i wanted to share the two health books i'm currently reading.

Hope they spark some interest for you!

Jess.
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